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Jane Wurwand has partnered with online lending platform Kiva to fund women-owned businesses around the world.

In 1983 when Jane Wurwand wanted to start a line of skincare products, she had a bit of trouble finding investors. (That’s the nice way of saying everyone turned her down.)

Well, too bad for them.

These days her company, Dermalogica, is a multi-million dollar business with offices in over 50 countries around the world. Still, despite all of her success, Wurwand never forgot how it felt to be overlooked by financial institutions as a young entrepreneur. So while reading Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn about the need to fight global poverty by unlocking the power of women, Jane had an idea. Why not give women around the world access to small loans to start or grow their own businesses so that they can gain economic stability?

And - just like that - joinFITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship) was born. Launched in January of 2011, joinFITE - powered by online lending platform KIVA - has funded over 14,000 women with plans to extend microloans to 25,000 more. Below Jane shares her thoughts on the importance of investing in women, the best way to care for your skin, and why you should always have enough in the bank for fancy knickers.

If you were counseling a young entrepreneur just starting their business today, what is the most important thing you would tell them?

The most important element is to ask yourself if this is something that you really want. You have to really, really want it. You have to be willing to endure opposition, rejection and failure. This opposition only sharpens your love, if it really is the real thing. You have to be in it for the long haul. If you are embarking on an entrepreneurial journey to try to make a fast buck, you will not only end up broke—you will end up broken-hearted, too.

You can’t be launching on your journey to please someone else. If this is the case, the disappointments which naturally await you will discourage you to the point where you quit. When you are on the path which you know to be your destiny, the approval—and disapproval--- of other people have no meaning. You will keep going because you feel that you have no real choice, the goal becomes your ‘purpose.’

What has been your favorite mistake?

The journey of IDI (International Dermal Institute) and Dermalogica has been so validating that I don’t see any of it as mistakes. However, other people may view our business history differently. So I guess my favorite “mistake” is that we did not sell out our business to any of the huge corporations that have wanted to gobble us up for years. We turned down the big, easy money. We turned it down many times. I love this work, and I love the skin care tribe which supports our work. So, we are still the sole proprietors and original owners. This means that we still steer our own ship and keep 100% control over our brand. We’re an agile, fast-moving little schooner compared with those huge behemoth cruise liners—that’s why we can nip around the icebergs and change course so easily. And that’s how we stay in touch with our customers. They like that. I do too.

What is the number one thing women need to know to properly care for their skin?

The primary enemy is inflammation. Inflammation is a response to many things, including environment, food, and UV is one piece of the puzzle. Many of our clients experience what is called sensitization. Their skin becomes reactive, to the point where even water and familiar, favorite products cause allergy-like symptoms. Inflammation also causes the skin to age more quickly. Also, daily defense from the sun is crucial; plus, getting a professional analysis and daily care regimen—cleanser, toner, treatment, booster, moisturizer, masque—which contains and controls inflammation in the more general aspect is what keeps skin healthy and looking good.